In recent years, the importance of ensuring security, confidentiality, and privacy of data has become increasingly clear. In a digital society in which data is electronically stored and disseminated across networks, security and confidentiality can be compromised in even the most elaborate of systems. Personal data, such as medical, financial, or criminal records, are of particular concern because their unauthorized release can have significant financial, legal, professional, personal, or other consequences to the person associated with the released data, as well as to other entities.
Certain kinds of personal data can be useful when not associated with their owner. For instance, research studies often rely on patients' medical records for analysis. However, practical or legal barriers often complicate efforts to gather a large enough body of data for a given study.